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A new branch of the Carson City Library opened Thursday in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada — a branch powered by robotics.
The 3,700-pound BranchAny where device, containing 250 items on topics of interest to kids, parents and teachers, is the first of its kind in the U.S., ac cording to Tammy Westergard, deputy director of the library.
The club, in Carson City, was selected as the perfect place to launch the project, Westergard said. Its objectives are to reach underserved populations and to involve youngsters. Use of BranchAnywhere is restricted to club members and other library education partners.
“We have an emphasis on materials customized to STEM — science, technology, engineering and math,” Westergard said.
“How does it work?” said Library Director Sara Jones in a letter to the club's members and supporters. “Think Redbox for library materials — only you just need your Carson City Library card.”
In addition to books, there are items for family time. Collections under the “Fun Stuff,” for instance, include LEGO kits, card games, word games, audio books and DVDs.
There also are plenty of choices for adults under the “Grown Up” button, where parents, teachers and other youth leaders can find items on topics such as career building, practical parenting, child development, health, science fair ideas, best-sellers and cookbooks.
The first patron to put the library robot to the test after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday was 10-year-old Jake Toreson, who — after retrieving his NFL Xbox 360 game — decided that “it was pretty cool.”
A search from the touch-and-browse screen on the 8-foot-6-inch long, and 7 foot high kiosk contains a full list of the 250 items, organized by category, contained within. Once a selection has been made, young patrons can check out using their library card. The screen allows them to watch the multi-axis robotic arm search for the item using its radio frequency identification system, and then insert it into the exchange door, where it can be pulled out.
Returning items is just as easy, and a receipt is printed for the user.
Westergard, who wrote an innovation grant last year, received $100,000 in federal funding for the BranchAnywhere project from the Library Services and Technology Act. The Mae B. Adams Trust provided a needed $30,000 match.
Todd Cutler, inventor of BranchAnywhere, was in Carson City to install his baby. Westergard said it took about three weeks to complete.
“It is really sophisticated,” she said, laughing. “I felt like I was in outer space and talking to mission control to get me back to Earth. It's so cool, and we have customized the collection as we work hard to be an active education partner in the community. We'll work with any teacher who wants to make a lesson plan around this,” Westergard said.
Racquel Abowd, a teacher at the Carson Montessori School, said she has already started.
“We're doing a fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade unit on robotics with 12 LEGO kits, so there will be additional kits available in the BranchAnywhere,” she said.
And Joe McEllistrem, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs board, which serves up to 500 youngsters, said he was thrilled that the club could team up with the library.
“This is something that will really enrich the lives of these kids,” he said. “Kids love technology, and this will keep them plugged in. Anytime you can enrich the emotional, psychological and educational lives of children, they do better in everything.”
Jones agreed.
“Our goal is to make this the best learning community in America,” she said.
The 3,700-pound BranchAny where device, containing 250 items on topics of interest to kids, parents and teachers, is the first of its kind in the U.S., ac cording to Tammy Westergard, deputy director of the library.
The club, in Carson City, was selected as the perfect place to launch the project, Westergard said. Its objectives are to reach underserved populations and to involve youngsters. Use of BranchAnywhere is restricted to club members and other library education partners.
“We have an emphasis on materials customized to STEM — science, technology, engineering and math,” Westergard said.
“How does it work?” said Library Director Sara Jones in a letter to the club's members and supporters. “Think Redbox for library materials — only you just need your Carson City Library card.”
In addition to books, there are items for family time. Collections under the “Fun Stuff,” for instance, include LEGO kits, card games, word games, audio books and DVDs.
There also are plenty of choices for adults under the “Grown Up” button, where parents, teachers and other youth leaders can find items on topics such as career building, practical parenting, child development, health, science fair ideas, best-sellers and cookbooks.
The first patron to put the library robot to the test after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday was 10-year-old Jake Toreson, who — after retrieving his NFL Xbox 360 game — decided that “it was pretty cool.”
A search from the touch-and-browse screen on the 8-foot-6-inch long, and 7 foot high kiosk contains a full list of the 250 items, organized by category, contained within. Once a selection has been made, young patrons can check out using their library card. The screen allows them to watch the multi-axis robotic arm search for the item using its radio frequency identification system, and then insert it into the exchange door, where it can be pulled out.
Returning items is just as easy, and a receipt is printed for the user.
Westergard, who wrote an innovation grant last year, received $100,000 in federal funding for the BranchAnywhere project from the Library Services and Technology Act. The Mae B. Adams Trust provided a needed $30,000 match.
Todd Cutler, inventor of BranchAnywhere, was in Carson City to install his baby. Westergard said it took about three weeks to complete.
“It is really sophisticated,” she said, laughing. “I felt like I was in outer space and talking to mission control to get me back to Earth. It's so cool, and we have customized the collection as we work hard to be an active education partner in the community. We'll work with any teacher who wants to make a lesson plan around this,” Westergard said.
Racquel Abowd, a teacher at the Carson Montessori School, said she has already started.
“We're doing a fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade unit on robotics with 12 LEGO kits, so there will be additional kits available in the BranchAnywhere,” she said.
And Joe McEllistrem, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs board, which serves up to 500 youngsters, said he was thrilled that the club could team up with the library.
“This is something that will really enrich the lives of these kids,” he said. “Kids love technology, and this will keep them plugged in. Anytime you can enrich the emotional, psychological and educational lives of children, they do better in everything.”
Jones agreed.
“Our goal is to make this the best learning community in America,” she said.
